All entries
2,660 entries so far, best known first. 2,250 more are on the list to be written. Narrow by region, kind, purpose, practitioner, belief world, occasion or how alive it is.
RegionSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaEast AsiaCentral Asia and the CaucasusMiddle EastNorth AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaEuropeNorth AmericaLatin America and the CaribbeanOceania
PurposeProtectionHealingSeeing and foretellingLuck and prosperityLove and attractionCursing and harmCleansing and purificationSpeaking with spirits and the deadChange and initiationBinding and oathsPower and authorityWonder and entertainment
WhoShamansFolk healersPriests and ritual specialistsWitches, sorcerers and cunning folkDiviners and readersMediums and the possessedCeremonial magicians and alchemistsHouseholds and ordinary peopleStage magiciansScholars and sceptics
BeliefHindu and TantricBuddhistJainMuslim and SufiJewishChristianSikhZoroastrianShinto and TaoistIndigenous and shamanicAfrican and Afro-diasporicPagan and NeopaganEsoteric and occultFolk and village customSecular and stageOther traditions
🇰🇷 South Korea and 3 moreKorean shamanism무속
A Korean folk religion centered on ritual specialists who mediate between humans and spiritsTradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇰🇷 South KoreaGut굿
Rites performed by Korean shamans to commune with spirits and ensure community welfare.Rite · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreJangseung장승
Wooden or stone poles that guard Korean villages and temples from evil spiritsTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇯🇵 JapanMount Osore恐山
A volcanic pilgrimage site in Japan believed to be a gateway to the underworldTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Living
🇲🇳 Mongolia and 1 moreTsagaan SarЦагаан сар
The Mongolian Lunar New Year, three days of white foods and family visitsTradition · Luck and prosperity · Cleansing and purification Living
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreFeng shui風水
A Chinese geomantic practice for aligning structures with cosmic energyTradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreBagua八卦
A set of eight trigram symbols from China used in divination, cosmology, and feng shui.Tradition · Seeing and foretelling · Protection Living
🇯🇵 JapanNoro祝女
Ryukyuan village priestesses who tend sacred hearths and utaki shrinesTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Fading
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreKorean shamanismKorean shamanism (Korean: Korean shamanism)
A traditional practice of ritual specialists who mediate between the human and spirit worlds.Tradition · Healing · Protection Living
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreChuseok추석 (Chuseok), 한가위 (Hangawi)
A Korean autumn harvest festival marked by ancestral rites and feasting on the full moon.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Luck and prosperity Living
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreHmong folk religionKev Dab Qhuas
The ethnic religion of the Miao and Hmong peoples, centered on spirit worship and shamanic healing.Tradition · Healing · Protection Living
🇨🇳 China and 5 moreRegional forms of shamanism
A global overview of indigenous spirit-interaction practices across Asia and the Americas.Tradition · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreShamanism in the Qing dynasty
State-managed rituals of the Manchu rulers and their shamansTradition · Protection · Healing Historical
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreNuo folk religion傩 (Nuó)
A Chinese exorcistic tradition using wooden masks and ancestor worship to drive away malevolent forcesTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreDaejongism대종교
A Korean faith system centred on the ancestral king Dangun and national identity.Tradition · Power and authority Living
🇨🇳 ChinaBenzhuism本主教
The indigenous patron worship of the Bai people in Yunnan, ChinaTradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇰🇷 South KoreaSuunism수운교
A Korean ethnic religion focused on the Great Jade Emperor of Heaven and spiritual reconnection.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Change and initiation Living
🇰🇷 South KoreaMusok eumak무속 음악
Traditional Korean shamanistic music performed during gut rituals to induce tranceTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇨🇳 ChinaYao folk religion梅山教
The ethnic religion of the Yao, blended with Taoism since the 13th centuryTradition · Protection · Cleansing and purification Living
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreFengshui woodland風水林
A protected grove in East Asia believed to shape the local environment and bring luck to nearby communities.Tradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living
🇰🇷 South KoreaBangsatap방사탑
A stone cairn on Jeju Island believed to shield communities from harm and disease.Tradition · Protection · Cursing and harm Revived
🇨🇳 ChinaReligion of the Shang dynasty
The spiritual system of ancient China's second dynasty, centred on ancestor worship and oracle bone divination.Tradition · Protection · Luck and prosperity Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Korean shamanism: Steve46814, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Regional forms of shamanism: Man Sing, Public domain, source
- Gut: ReSearcher at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Shamanism in the Qing dynasty: A nineteenth-century team of editors., Public domain, source
- Jangseung: Yoshiaki Sano, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Mount Osore: Douglas P Perkins ( Douglaspperkins ( talk )), CC BY 3.0, source
- Daejongism: Berghendorf, CC0, source
- Nuo folk religion: Wikiwikiyarou, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Benzhuism: G41rn8, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Religion of the Shang dynasty: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Yao folk religion: Daderot, Public domain, source
- Tsagaan Sar: User:Chinneeb, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Feng shui: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Bagua: TarcísioTS at Portuguese Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Fengshui woodland: 猫猫的日记本 (Cat's diary), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Korean shamanism: Hyewon Shin Yun-bok (申潤福: 1758-early 19th century) (혜원 신윤복 (申潤福: 1758-, Public domain, source
- Jesa: by Joseph Steinberg (Baltimoron in Korea) at Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bangsatap: Grapesurgeon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hmong folk religion: Thomas Riccio, CC BY 4.0, source